Ideal Situation for Your Federal Law Enforcement Interview

Ideally, and believe me most are not ideal.

– you would begin to work with me after you have your date assigned. You would contact me 4-6 weeks – depending on your life’s schedule to get the materials to begin your preparation.

– ideally, you would take a week or two to get prepared and then contact me for our first session. You would send me your stories to critique.

– ideally, in our first session we would go over the “Why this Agency?” and “What makes you qualified – what you bring to the position?” questions. We would go over story-telling techniques and tips.

– ideally, after the first session I would send you the 5 points that I have summarized and written, (depending on which package you purchase) or you will write your own 5 points. Your 5 points will be your roadmap to answer the big questions – “Why this Agency?” – and “Why do you think you’re qualified?”

– ideally, you would take a week or more to prepare using the tips and techniques you have learned from our first session.

– ideally session #2 would be one to two weeks or so prior to your actual interview.

Now, all that to say that the greater majority of my clients have not had “ideal situations.”

I have coached with as little as three or four days and still have helped people pass. This is not my preferred manner – but sometimes that’s what life deals.

I will support you through email – critiquing anything you send me after our sessions. Clients send me their written stories and I critique them.

I will tell you if you are ready after our two sessions – most of the time you will be ready. I only give straight-forward feedback.

My goal is to get you to pass the interview and I will do everything that I can to do just that. The rest will be up to you. The best way to prepare answers to Behavioral Questions is to have prepared stories.

• Think about how you interact with others in the workplace, in school, or in other work-like activities. Think about the way you worked with others on group projects or on teams, and how you worked with supervisors or professors.

• Think about how you have typically handled assignments, your approach to completing them and how you handled problems or obstacles.

• Think about the way you typically communicate with co-workers, professors, supervisors, fellow students, or fellow volunteers. Think about the way you tried to explain things to others or how you persuaded them to do something.

(source – FBI Website)

FBI Phase III

*Intelligence Analyst Phase III: Structured Interview

Phase III is a one-hour structured interview that assess oral communication, interpersonal skills, organizing and planning, and analytical thinking. Each panel will consist of three senior-level Intelligence Analysts and all interviews will be recorded. Each panel will read a standardized script to the applicant before the interview begins and score each interview when completed.

Intelligence Analyst Critical Skills and Abilities:

– Analytical Thinking

– Interpersonal Skills

– Initiative and Motivation

– Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing

– Adapting to Changing Situation

– Communicating

– Writing Effectively

*From the FBI website

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Hi Carole –

I wanted to let you know that I just received word that I passed phase III. Thank you for all of your help. I felt prepared and was myself — even though I was extremely nervous!

Thanks for all of your help!!!

 

From a client who recently passed Phase II

Carole,

Just found out today that I passed Phase II. I’m sitting here at my desk reading and re-reading the email informing me that I passed. I didn’t know what to expect when I hired you to help me pass Phase II, but I was so impressed with you and your program that I want to recommend it to anyone that wants to pass Phase II. Your critiques were sometimes harsh but always
insightful and you genuinely wanted me to do my best and pass Phase II. Your direct feedback and guidance really made the difference in my performance during Phase II. I only had one shot at passing, as I am much older than most applicants, and using your principals directly led to my final scores.
I want to give you a heartfelt and sincere THANK YOU, for all of your help and I will get the word out to as many people as possible about your course.

From one of my “female” clients on FBI interviewing

“One thing I would emphasize – especially to your male clients – is to smile, even when they’re not in the interview. We were all taken into a room with the applicant coordinator and I was the only one smiling and nodding at her. All the other male applicants were trying to “look like FBI agents,” but just looked kind of stiff. The applicant coordinator even pointed one out, said he looked like a “deer in the headlights,” and told him to loosen up – the guy looked even more uncomfortable after that, and I’m sure it didn’t help his confidence in the interview.”